Personal Growth Is a Continuous Essay

As a result of taking part in the soccer tournament I learned to trust myself more, and to be more self-confident and positive. I also learned that self-confidence is a must in all walks of life because one needs to be able to rely on oneself. Being an athlete has taught me several important lessons which I was able to translate into other areas of my life as well. Personal experience has taught me that the hard work involved in training and the actual performance of sports builds a profound sense of understanding of work ethic in individuals. Life is a series of experience, and the past cannot be separated from the present, very much like the future cannot exist in the absence of the present. From this point-of-view, I believe that experiencing the amount of work and concentration involved in soccer has helped me change my entire outlook on work in general. Also, fair play and respect are crucial not only to the game, but to life in its entirety, and have become two of the most valued landmarks of my existence both as an athlete, and a human being. I believe that professional life, irrespective of the chosen career path, depends on integrity and solid work ethic. One cannot deny that compromises might lead to a quicker and perhaps easier professional ascension, but at the end of the day, I think that success is the feeling of being able to look at oneself in the mirror, and not feel guilt or shame.The knowledge I have acquired playing soccer, and being part of a team has transcended the soccer field, and has positively influenced me not only in school, but also in my personal life. Mens sana in corpore sano is much more than just a Latin quotation. Sports shape not only bodies, but also minds. Sports are synonymous with qualities such as strength, determination and honesty. One cannot even hope to be good at sports unless they are willing to sacrifice, and adapt to the requirements of training and competition. If one approaches life with this set of qualities, one can have the certainty that they have tried their hardest, and have not wasted any opportunity that life has offered them. To conclude, I would like to emphasize one particular aspect. Although sports involve competition, I think that winning is not always a matter of winning first place. Similarly, I do not think that losing does not cancel the efforts that an athlete has made in order to take part in a competition. Losing simply means one must take some time and recover, and then resume training and remain focused. Moreover, I think that it takes losing in order to truly appreciate winning. However, sports are about much more than this. Sports can shape characters, and teach us how to live good and honest lives. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the greatest part about sports, and at the same time, the biggest win of every athlete......